W-League News
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Atlanta escapes upset with 1-0 win |
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Monday, 28 July 2008 09:43 |
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Friday, July 25, 2008 (Coutesy USL Soccer)
ATLANTA, GA -- The second match of the Eastern Conference semifinals saw the host Atlanta Silverbacks face off against the Long Island Rough Riders in a defensive showdown in contrast to the 11-goal affair in the first semifinal as the visitors were literally eliminated by inches, 1-0, on a second half Christine Latham strike.
 The Silverbacks were looking to continue their undefeated season and break the momentum of the Rough Riders, who beat the Boston Renegades on Wednesday night to earn a place in the conference tournament. From the beginning, the match was a back and forth affair, but no one could get on the board. It was a sharp contrast to the first semifinal match that saw five in the back of the net before halftime.
Atlanta had a chance in the 37th minute during two successive corner kicks, but they were unable to convert either opportunity. As the half progressed, the Silverbacks continued to press down the field, but they were unable to place any of their shots past the frequently tested Long Island ‘keeper Marissa Viola.
At the end of the half, the Rough Riders made a rare foray into the Silverbacks’ end of the field, but it proved unsuccessful. The teams went to the locker rooms stuck in a 0-0 tie.
The Silverbacks got the lone goal of the night in the 51st minute off a ball that was pounded by Christine Latham. Lindsey Patterson passed the ball back to Melanie Schneider for the cross and Latham’s rocket hit the crossbar and came straight down, narrowly crossing the line.
The duo of Latham and Sarah Steinmann continued to put pressure on the Long Island goalkeeper, but they were unable to generate the offensive firepower that Silverbacks fans have grown accustomed to. The Rough Riders got a few opportunities and looked to threaten on a free kick outside the box, but the shot flew far over the post.
The Silverbacks had a promising opportunity when Latham streaked toward a ball down the right flank and crossed to Steinmann, who missed the ball to the left. Krista Bobo came sprinting through for the follow-up, but she was unable to put the ball on goal.
Long Island had another free kick outside the box off a Monica Buff foul that resulted in a yellow card, but the shot was saved by Silverbacks ‘keeper Ashley Phillips.
Both teams continued to fight hard as the Silverbacks looked to increase their lead and the Rough Riders pushed for the equalizer. Tempers flared in the 82nd minute and the Rough Rider’s coach John Fitzgerald was ejected from the game.
During the 87th minute, Sarah Steinmann appeared to have a breakaway, but she was called back by the center official, who ruled her offside. The Silverbacks continued to pepper shots at the goal, but they were unable to get on the board again. The match ended in a 1-0 victory for the Silverbacks who will be back on the field tomorrow night as they look to claim the Eastern Conference title.
The much anticipated game is a rematch of the 2007 W-League Championship match in which the Freedom defeated the Silverbacks 3-1. Silverbacks head coach Tony Anglin is looking forward to the rematch with the Freedom.
He feels that the team is “better equipped this year and we’ll be fine as long as we remain defensively strong.”
Both teams will be fighting for the chance to travel to Virginia Beach, VA for the W-League Championship tournament. Last year in the W-League Championship game, Rebecca Moros scored in the first minute of play and Christie Welsh doubled the advantage in the 40th. Atlanta’s Sarah Steinmann found Krista Davey to cut the deficit in the 67th only to see Washington secure the win on a goal from Tiffany McCarty two minutes from time in Rochester, NY.
The Eastern Conference Championship game kicks off at 8pm Saturday night and will see the host Silverbacks face the Washington Freedom at Atlanta Silverbacks Park. Tickets are only $10 and will be available at the stadium beginning at 6pm. For further information, visit www.atlantasilverbacks.com or call 1-866-GOBACKS |
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First set of W-League honors unveiled |
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Monday, 28 July 2008 09:40 |
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Friday, July 25, 2008 (Courtesy USL Soccer)
TAMPA, FL -- United Soccer Leagues announced Friday the statistical award winners for the 2008 W-League season and the All-Conference Teams, honoring 33 of the top players in the league as voted on by team coaches and general managers.
 The Atlanta Silverbacks’ Sarah Steinmann finished as the Scoring and Goal Scoring Champion for the season with a league-leading 40 points and 19 goals, a breakout performance for the sixth-year W-League veteran. The numbers were triple what she posted last season when she notched only six goals in a season in which she played the fewest games (eight) in her career. They were twice what she registered in her best season, an eight-goal campaign in 2006. Steinmann originally began her W-League career with the Charlotte Lady Eagles in 2003-04 before moving to Atlanta. She had 25 goals in her previous five seasons in the league.
Laura Del Rio of the FC Indiana Lionesses finished as the W-League Assist Leader with nine on the season. Combined with her 13 goals on the season, Del Rio also finished second in the league in points with 35.
In goal, it was Pali Blues netminder Valerie Henderson winning the GAA Champion award with the league’s lowest goals against average of 0.142. Henderson posted shutouts in six of her seven games played, allowing just one goal on the year.
Among the W-League All-Conference selections were several players who have received the honor several times. Charlotte’s Tina Murphy and Seattle’s Michelle French are both being recognized for the fourth time in their careers (both in 2004, 2006 and 2007) while Tiffeny Milbrett was selected for the third straight year.
Being honored for a second time are Chicago’s Jen Buczkowski (2006), Jersey’s Fanta Cooper (2004), Washington’s Lori Lindsey (2007) and Pali trio Kendall Fletcher (2004), Amy LePeilbet (2005) and Jill Oakes (2007).
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W-LEAGUE ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS |
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Central Conference |
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Erin Kane |
Chicago Gaels |
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D |
Ashley Kennedy |
Ottawa Fury |
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D |
Marie-Eve Nault |
FC Indiana Lionesses |
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D |
Cindy Walsh |
Laval Comets |
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M |
Jen Buczkowski |
Chicago Gaels |
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M |
Chelsea Cline |
Minnesota Lightning |
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M |
Alicia Donaldson |
Toronto Lady Lynx |
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M |
Julianne Sitch |
FC Indiana Lionesses |
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F |
Brittany Bisnott |
Toronto Lady Lynx |
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F |
Laura Del Rio |
FC Indiana Lionesses |
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F |
Shay Powell |
Ottawa Fury |
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Eastern Conference |
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G |
Mallori Lofton-Malachi |
Tampa Bay Hellenic |
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D |
Fanta Cooper |
Jersey Sky Blue |
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D |
Therese Luckner |
Boston Renegades |
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D |
Sue Weber |
Long Island Rough Riders |
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M |
Stacey Bishop |
Tampa Bay Hellenic |
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M |
Lori Lindsey |
Washington Freedom |
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M |
Tina Murphy |
Charlotte Lady Eagles |
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M |
Lyndsey Patterson |
Atlanta Silverbacks |
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F |
Sarah Steinmann |
Atlanta Silverbacks |
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F |
Fortuna Velaj |
Connecticut Passion |
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F |
Christie Welsh |
Washington Freedom |
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Western Conference |
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G |
Valerie Henderson |
Pali Blues |
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D |
Kendall Fletcher |
Pali Blues |
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D |
Amy LePeilbet |
Pali Blues |
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D |
Afton Sauer |
Real Colorado Cougars |
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D |
Katrin Schmidt |
Vancouver Whitecaps |
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M |
Michelle French |
Seattle Sounders |
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M |
Katie Hooker |
Real Colorado Cougars |
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M |
Jill Oakes |
Pali Blues |
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F |
Danesha Adams |
Pali Blues |
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F |
Katie Erikkson |
Fort Collins Force |
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F |
Tiffeny Milbrett |
Vancouver Whitecaps |
Also announced were the players who received the most votes for each team not represented among the All-Conference selections. They were:
Central Conference: Jessica Rostedt (Cleveland), Shaylin Mannino (Michigan), Jennifer Gaylor (Kalamazoo), Shannon Lynn (Fort Wayne), Irie Dennis (West Michigan), Brittany Kinmond (Rochester), Chelsea Spencer (Hamilton), Kacey Busque (Western Mass), Treena Ferguson (London), Patty Spielman (Vermont).
Eastern Conference: Mercy Akide (Hampton Roads), Jane Alukonis (Carolina R), Nikki Krysik (Richmond), Hailey Beam (Carolina D), Shannon Aitken (Bradenton), Marisa Kanela (West Virginia), Kelly Hammond (Northern Virginia), Gemma Davison (New York), Robyn Jones (New Jersey), Nicky Davies (Fredericksburg).
Western Conference: Brittany Massro (Los Angeles), Casey Moore (Ventura County).
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W-League Conference Playoff Preview |
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Monday, 28 July 2008 09:39 |
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Thursday, July 24, 2008 (Courtesy USL Soccer)
TAMPA, FL -- Unlike the PDL playoffs where parity has led to numerous upsets over the past few years, the W-League Conference playoffs have seen few headline upsets as teams with high profile players go into the postseason knowing their opponents are just as star-studded. This year, more will be on the line as players have the added pressure of trying to garner attention from the future Women’s Professional Soccer league.
 While the Final Four seemed a bit unusual without the presence of Ottawa for the first time in five years last year, this season it is the new look of the conference playoffs at the focal point. With the swapping of the Atlantic and Northern Divisions between the Central and Eastern Conferences, the composition of the playoffs has taken on a new dynamic, including a rematch of last year’s W-League championship potentially coming in the Eastern Conference Final.
In what is arguably the most competitive of the three events with seeds three, five, six and nine in the tournament, the Eastern Conference could see Atlantic Division champion and 2007 W-League finalist Atlanta advance to meet the defending W-League champion Washington Freedom, the top team out of the Northeast.
The Midwest representatives are new this year with FC Indiana finishing unbeaten and Chicago advancing as runners-up to the Central Conference playoffs. They will face Laval and the Fury, respectively, out of the Northern Division.
Longstanding rivals in the Western Conference and beyond, the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps will meet in the postseason for the fourth time in the postseason. Vancouver has gone unbeaten with a mark of 3-0-1, with the lone draw seeing Seattle advance via penalties in their first postseason meeting in 2003. The lost meeting was a 5-0 drubbing in the W-League Semifinals in 2006.
USLLive.com Special: The Vancouver Whitecaps will be showing their Western Conference showdown with the Sounders on www.USLlive.com, the broadband home of USL First Division matches online. Fans can view the game beginning at 7:00 pm ET and On Demand.
W-League Playoff Bracket [+]
TEAM BY TEAM PLAYOFF CAPSULES
(#) Overall W-League seed in parenthesis based on points
Central Conference Championship Tournament
FC Indiana Lionesses (2): The Lionesses (13-0-1) clinched a playoff berth and the Midwest Division title July 13. They clinched the regular season conference title July 17. It is the first W-League playoff appearance for the former WPSL club playing in its debut season.
Ottawa Fury (4): The Fury (13-1-0) clinched a playoff berth July 12 and the Northern Division title July 20. In their ninth season, the Fury have made the postseason the last five years, reaching the final four from 2003-2006. They finished fourth, third and second twice, respectively.
Chicago Gaels (8): The Gaels (11-3-0) clinched a playoff berth July 18. It is the first playoff appearance in four years of play for the Midwest runners-up.
Laval Comets (11): he Comets (9-4-1) clinched a playoff berth July 19. In their third year, the Comets have advanced to the postseason the past two years consecutively, posting their first playoff victory this year with a stunning 2-0 win at Toronto in the Divisional Round over the Northern Division runners-up.
Eastern Conference Championship Tournament
Atlanta Silverbacks (3): The Silverbacks (13-0-1) clinched a playoff berth July 4. Atlanta clinched the Atlantic Division title July 12. The Silverbacks were finalists a year ago in their first playoff appearance in three years of play.
Washington Freedom (5): The Freedom (11-1-2) clinched a playoff berth July 13 and the Northeast Division title July 19. The Freedom won the W-League Championship in their first official season of play last year.
Charlotte Lady Eagles (6): The Lady Eagles (11-2-1) clinched a playoff berth July 6. The Atlantic runners-up missed the postseason for the first time in their eight years of existence last year. They previously reached the W-2 final in their debut 2000 season, winning the W-2 league championship the following year. They also advanced to the W-League Final in 2001.
Long Island Rough Riders (9): The Long Island Rough Riders (9-3-2) clinched a playoff berth July 20. The Rough Riders are making their postseason debut in their second season of play.
Western Conference Playoff Tournament
Vancouver Whitecaps (12): The Whitecaps (7-2-3) clinched a playoff berth July 18. The Whitecaps missed the postseason for the first time in seven years of play a year ago. They have reached the league semifinals five times, finish third in 2002, and 2005, second in 2001 and champion in 2004 and 2006. The runners-up in the conference are playoff hosts with first-place Pali claiming an automatic berth in the W-League Semifinals as regular season champion.
Seattle Sounders (13): The Sounders (5-3-4) clinched a playoff berth July 20. The Sounders are in the postseason for the third straight year and sixth time in eight seasons of play. The club has reached the league semifinals three times, finishing third in 2003 and 2007 |
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USL W-League Combine debuts this fall |
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Monday, 28 July 2008 09:36 |
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Monday, July 7, 2008
Over 120 professional prospects to gather in Tampa September 4-7
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced Monday that with the upcoming launch of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), it will be conducting the inaugural USL W-League Combine in Tampa September 4-7 of 2008. The combine will feature 128 elite players showcasing their talent for WPS and other professional scouts and coaches.
 The combine will consist of invited elite W-League players as well as those selected from an open application process. The deadline for players submitting an Open Application is August 6. It will be held at the Ed Radice Sports Complex, home to the W-League Tampa Bay Hellenic and the USL Super Y-League North American Finals.
The USL W-League Combine will cap what will be an important five-week span in North American women’s soccer beginning with the W-League Championship tournament in Virginia Beach, Virginia July 31 to August 2. The rest of August will feature the US and Canadian women’s national teams vying for Olympic glory in China from August 6-21.
“The USL W-League Combine will be an excellent follow-up to the W-League Championship and Olympics in the process of identifying players for Women’s Professional Soccer, giving the new league an opportunity to scout the players they will need to solidify their rosters beyond the renowned international stars that will be signed,” said W-League Director of Operations Melanie Fitzgerald. “As the first elite women’s soccer league, the W-League has been a leader in the women’s game on and off the field since 1995 and we are thrilled to be adding this event to aid players in pursuing professional careers.”
More About USL W-League Combine [+] USL W-League Combine Open Application [+]
With many current and former internationals, as well as collegiate standouts, it is expected that numerous players drafted and signed by WPS will hail from the W-League. Historically, the same occurred with the launch of the Women’s United Soccer Association in 2001. A total of 92 current and former W-League players were allocated or drafted by the WUSA leading up to the first of its three seasons.
Numerous W-League players went on to find success in the WUSA, including several that also found a spot with the US National Team. Headed to the Olympics in August are two such players in Shannon Boxx and Angela Hucles. Boxx, a member of the Boston Renegades, was drafted by San Diego and would later debut for the US in 2003. A former Hampton Roads Piranha, Hucles was drafted by Boston and would go on to join the US squad in 2002.
 "The W-League has successfully harvested many of the nation’s best female soccer talent for years, growing the sport and priming these athletes for professional stardom," said Tonya Antonucci, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) commissioner. "We applaud their accomplishments as we work in close partnership with the league in identifying and showcasing W-League talent to further raise the profile of women’s soccer culminating in the launch of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) in 2009."
About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)
The mission of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is to be the premier women’s soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women’s professional sports are measured. Play kicks off in the spring of 2009, with WPS teams based in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. The league will expand to eight teams by 2010 with the inclusion of Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.womensprosoccer.com.
About USL W-League
Exceptional competitive women’s soccer lives in the USL W-League, USL’s highest level of women’s soccer in the US and Canada. The top women’s players throughout the world compete in the USL W-League through the summer months. In addition to the league featuring international and former professional stars, elite collegiate players have the opportunity to also compete in the league while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is recognized throughout the world for providing elite competition for women’s players, while providing affordable family entertainment to many fans in each of the team locations |
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Saturday, 19 July 2008 10:11 |
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Friday, July 18, 2008 (Courtesy USL Soccer)
FREDERICKSBURG, VA - The Fredericksburg Lady Gunners lost a heartbreaking 1-0 game to the Long Island Rough Riders this evening at Fredericksburg Academy. The match was a see-saw affair that witnessed numerous chances for both teams until Long Island scored the game winner in the 83rd minute. The win keeps the Rough Riders’ playoff hopes alive as they only need a draw in their final game to clinch a postseason spot.
Fredericksburg goalkeeper Nicky Davies and her counterpart Meagan Frey exchanged brilliant saves throughout the contest, registering 7 and 6 saves, respectively.
Jenna McCeon broke the 0-0 deadlock with a great finish as the game was winding down. She was on the receiving end of a brilliant cross from teammate CJ Judeman and calmly slotted it past Davies into the back of the net.
The game was one of the Lady Gunners’ best of the season, as Fredericksburg had numerous chances throughout the game. Anne Houliston and Kylie Hayes led the team with 3 shots each and were dangerous throughout the contest.
Twins Marissa and Maria Mohammed anchored a backline that disrupted numerous attacks by the Rough Riders and gave Long Island all they could handle. |
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